


A Stevens Family Dinner

by irena_adler



Series: Watson [48]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Angst, Drama & Romance, Family Drama, Homophobic Language, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-13 04:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11176812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irena_adler/pseuds/irena_adler
Summary: Will introduces Don to his family.





	1. Meeting the Stevens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Don arrive at the parents' house.

**Title:** A Stevens family dinner, Part 1 **  
**Pairing: Don/Will **  
**Rating: PG-13, FRT **  
**Summary: Will introduces Don to his family.  
Part 1 – Meeting the Stevens  
Will and Don arrive at the parents' house.  
**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my world, making no money. **  
**Feedback: Yes, please! Feed the author!  
**Warnings:** Angst, tension  


  


Will pulled into a parking space along the familiar street in Anaheim Hills and tried to catch his breath.

Next to him, Don frowned and put his hand on Will’s leg.“Will?You gonna be okay?”

“You don’t know what it’ll be like,” Will said, his voice harsh in his ears.“Your dad and your brother were so nice and understanding.Don’t expect that here.”

“I know,” Don said, “You warned me.”

“But you don’t—“

“Will,” Don interrupted him quietly.“You just have to remember one thing.We’re going in there together and we’ll be coming out together.Nothing in between is going to change that, okay?”

Pressing his lips together, Will nodded and gripped Don’s hand where it lay on his thigh.“I love you, Don,” he said softly.

“I love you too, Will,” Don said.“I’ve got your back.”

Will smiled wobbily and unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Wait,” Don said, his hand on Will’s arm. “Let me check my facts.Your dad is an anesthesiologist at Mission Hospital.Your mom runs a catering company.Your oldest sister, Jenny, is two years younger than you but she lives in New York so won’t be here.”

_Thank god for small blessings_ , Will thought uncharitably.When Jenny and his mother were in the same room, it was usually Will that got caught in the cross-fire.

Don continued his recitation.“Your next sister, Cindi, is three years younger and works in the Angel’s front office.Very cool, that.She’s the friendly one.Amy is the youngest one, eight years younger that you, and she’s working on her doctorate in molecular biology at UC Irvine.”

“She’s the darling of the family,” Will said wryly, “So don’t be surprised if she can get away with things that none of the rest of us could.”

“Like what?”

“Like talking back to my mother.”

Will saw Cindi’s car down the street and was relieved that she was already here.

Don nodded, a thoughtful frown on his face.“Okay, we’re as ready as we’re gonna be.”

“If you say so,” Will sighed.“I should have never let Cindi talk me into this.”

“Will,” Don smiled.“Are you going to hide me from your family forever?”

_Happily,_ Will thought.But he had pushed the issue to meet Don’s family, so it was only fair.Will took a deep breath and murmured his _kotodama_ , a personal mantra that never failed to calm and center him.

He gave Don a small smile.“Let’s do it.”

Will pushed the car door opened and stepped out.Don came around from the other side of the car, lightly touched Will’s arm, then put a respectable distance between them.

“Be polite,” Will said.

“You already told me that,” Don said patiently. __

“Don’t try to be Korean polite, be American polite … _very_ American polite.”

“Got it,” Don said.

Will nodded and started walking across the quiet residential street to his parent’s house.Unlike Don, his parents didn’t still live in the house he’d grown up in.They moved to this house in Anaheim Hills after Will had left home, which had been more than fifteen years ago.Just as well.For Will, the old house was too full of bitterness and anger.

When he’d left home at seventeen, it had been fleeing parents who disapproved of everything about him, especially his sexual preferences.Will had run off to live with a man who he thought loved him, but he had been quickly disabused of that belief.That was just another step on his long downward spiral, and it had been a vile three years before he was dragged out of by Jim, an old high-school friend turned EMT.Jim had been Will’s first positive romantic relationship.

Will glanced over at his current and future relationship.Don looked good, but then again he always did, even after three days of not showering, shaving, or changing clothes.Today Don was dressed nicely in tan Dockers and a navy-blue button-down shirt.Will was dressed similarly.Will had agonized over the choice of clothing, but finally decided that suits were too formal for what was supposed to be a casual family dinner. _Yeah, right._

He’d told Don once that he and his parents had reached a tentative truce about his sexual preference.That truce only held if none of them actually mentioned it.Bringing Don here was going to force everyone to acknowledge the issue.

To distract himself from the coming moment, Will looked around and wondered what Don saw.A nice, neat house in an affluent neighborhood.The sort of house that a doctor would live at.It was larger than the house Will had grown up in, though only his parents lived there now.His mother has started her catering business in the kitchen here, but it now had its headquarters downtown.

Too soon, they were at the front door, and even though he’d been here many times, he still knocked and waited.

The door was opened by Cindi. 

“Hey, Cee-cee,” Will said warmly.

“Will!” Cindi said and gave him a quick hug.It was a measure of Cindi’s mood that she didn’t complain about the hated nickname.

“This is Don,” Will said, waving Don forward.

“Glad to finally meet you,” Cindi said with a smile.

“You too,” Don said, shaking her hand.Cindi gave him an unabashed once-over and then nodded in approval and winked at Will.

“Don’t hang out on the porch all day,” snapped a voice from behind Cindi.Cindi’s eyes met Will’s and her smile faded.

Cindi moved back from the door and gestured for Will and Don to come inside.

Standing in the doorway to the living room was his mother, a small Asian woman with sharp eyes and mouth that always seemed to be frowning.Coming up behind her was his father, a tall, white, distinguished-looking man.His father’s face held its usual reserved calm.

“Hello, Mother,” Will said, moving forward to take her hands and give her a peck on the cheek.“Hello, Father,” Will said, shaking his father’s hand.

Will stepped back and gestured towards Don.“Mother, Father, this is Don Eppes.”Then just to make the battle lines clear he added, “My boyfriend.”

His mother’s face hardened but Don calmly reached out to shake his father’s hand.“Nice to meet you, Dr. Stevens,” he said, then bobbed his head respectfully in the direction of his mother.“Mrs. Stevens.”

“Won’t you come in,” Mrs. Min Stevens said, her voice anything but welcome.

“Thank you,” Don said and moved aside so that Cindi could close the door behind him.

“Why don’t we sit down for a minute,” Cindi said quickly.“Dinner isn’t quite ready yet.”

“It will be ready on time,” Min frowned and Cindi winced.

“I apologize for arriving early,” Don said smoothly, though they were right on time.“The traffic was lighter than we expected for a Saturday.”

The five of them sat down awkwardly in the formal front room.Will sat next to Don on the couch, his leg defiantly touching Don’s.

After a brief, awkward silence, Dr. Edward Stevens fixed Don with a stern eye, and asked, “So what do you do?” 

“I work for the FBI, sir.”

Min gave a scornful sound.In her mind, all successful people were either in medicine or business.The FBI – or the DEA for that matter – was little more than a glorified cop job.

Will gritted his teeth.“Don is lead agent for the whole Los Angeles division,” he said, “And before that he ran the department in Albuquerque.He’s also worked in Fugitive Retrieval and was a trainer for the FBI at Quantico.”

Edward and Cindi looked impressed by this resume, but Min just said, “Not much for sticking to one thing, are you?”

Will bristled. _She can always find something negative to say._ Don spoke before Will could say something snappish.

“I was quite happy in Albuquerque, Ma’am,” Don said evenly, “and would probably still be there if my mother hadn’t fallen ill.”

“Oh?”Min looked a little surprised.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Don said.“I grew up in LA and my family still lived here.A few years ago, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I moved back home to be with her for the last few months of her life.After she died, I didn’t feel like I could go back to New Mexico and leave my father and brother alone, so I requested a transfer here.”

“Oh.” Min said again.

Will mentally scored a big point for Don.This had certainly made an impression on his mother.

“Is Amy going to be able to make it tonight?” Will asked.

“She’s very busy,” Min said, “but she said she could make time to come here tonight.”

“Good,” Will said, “It’ll be nice to see her.”To himself he thought, _As if only her time was valuable, forget the time of a lowly DEA agent._

“She is studying at UC Irvine, correct?”Don asked.“Molecular Biology?”

“Yes,” Min said proudly.“At least we’ll have one more doctor in the family.”

Will traded glances with Cindi at this old refrain.Cindi’s job as the Director of Ballpark Operations for the Angels hardly ranked high in his mother’s estimation either.

“I look forward to meeting her,” Don said.He turned to Edward, “You’re at Mission Hospital, sir?”

Edward nodded.

“Excellent trauma center,” Don said, with a disarming smile.“I’m afraid that I’ve visited it more than once.”

“Glad to hear we could help you,” Edward said, with a slight thawing of his reserve.

Min got to her feet.“Supper will be ready shortly.”

“Smells good already,” Don said.

Min left for the kitchen and Edward followed her.Cindi got up and followed as well, but not before shooting Will a “thumbs-up” sign.

Alone with Don for the moment, Will breathed out a shaky sigh and rested his head against Don’s. _That didn’t go too terribly._

“I’m right here, _aein_ ,” Don said softly.

“Yes,” Will whispered, drawing strength from Don’s presence.“You’re doing good.”

“Good,” Don whispered back.“Now, let’s not give your parents any time to wonder what we’re doing in here.”

Will gave him a strained smile and stood up.


	2. Part 2 – Around the dinner table

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Don try to navigate through a conversational minefield.

**Title:** A Stevens family dinner, Part 2 **  
**Pairing: Don/Will **  
**Rating: PG-13, FRT **  
**Summary: Will introduces Don to his family.  
Part 2 – Around the dinner table  
Will and Don try to navigate through a conversational minefield.  
**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my world, making no money. **  
**Feedback: Yes, please! Feed the author!  
**Warnings:** Angst, tension  
**A/N:**    This 3-part story takes places after "Miss Me?" and before "Matching".  


 

At that moment, the front door swung open and in came Amy.“Sorry I’m late,” Amy said breezily, dumping her purse on a handy side table.

“You’re right on time, dear,” Min called from the kitchen.

“Hi, Will,” Amy said, smiling up at him.She was the short one in the family, barely taller than his mother, but that had never slowed her down.

“Hey, little one,” Will said and she gave him a mock glare.“This is Don, my boyfriend.”

Amy turned to look at Don and held out her hand.“Nice to meet you, Don-my-boyfriend.”

Don smiled and shook her hand.“So should I call you Dr. Stevens?”

“Naw, not yet, maybe never.Anyone calls me Dr. Stevens and I’m going to be looking around for my dad.”Amy smiled brightly and swept into the kitchen to say hello to the parents.

Cindi brought out a missing spoon then declared the dining room table set.“Unless you’d like a fork?” she asked Don.

“Chopsticks are fine,” Don said.“Just as long as I can use the spoon for the soup.”

Cindi nodded and pulled out a chair.“Will, you sit here.” She gestured to the chair next to it.“Don, right here.”

Will and Don sat down as instructed and Cindi sat across from Will.Amy came out of the kitchen and sat next to Will.Will appreciated that Cindi was trying to shelter Don by putting him away from the others, but he wasn’t sure it was possible to be far enough away.

As if he could read his anxiety, Don put a hand on Will’s thigh and left it there.It was a solid, warm weight.Will closed his hand over Don’s and gave him a grateful smile.

When they were seated at the table, Min began bringing out dish after dish of _banchan_ side dishes, as Edward brought out a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup for everyone.Will was bitterly amused.His mother might claim to be uninterested in his boyfriend, but she never missed a chance to impress someone with her cooking.

Don waited for Will’s parents to be seated and began to eat themselves before picking up his chopsticks.Don carefully followed Will’s lead on eating etiquette, and ate with every sign of appreciation.He didn’t even hesitate with the pungent _kimchi_ or the spicy and fishy _jeongol_ soup. _What a brave guy,_ Will thought warmly.

“This is delicious, Ma’am,” Don said sincerely.“I can see where Will gets his cooking skills.”

Min looked like she couldn’t decide whether to be flattered or offended.

“Will can’t cook,” Amy laughed.

“My stomach would beg to differ,” Don said.“I haven’t eaten so well since I left for college.”

Will smiled at him.Don knew that Will’s cooking abilities, or lack thereof, were a sensitive spot with him.

The subject of Korean cooking carried them well into the meal, especially since it was what his mother’s catering business specialized in.

There was a lull in the conversation as people got more food and Edward asked Amy, “Was traffic bad from Irvine?”

“No, it was great.” Amy replied.“I just got caught up in some work and left a little late.”

“I know you’re busy,” Min said evenly, “but your sister wouldn’t let me rest until I agreed to let Will bring his boytoy to a family dinner.”

There was a shocked silence.

Will growled, “How dare you—“ 

Don’s hand clenched a warning on Will’s leg.“It’s alright, Will,” Don said cheerfully, his voice only slightly strained.“I guess from some points of view, I _am_ your boytoy.”

Will gaped at him, then began to laugh at the utter ridiculousness of this macho, driven FBI agent calling himself a “boytoy.”Don smiled and everyone else at the table stared at Will which just made Will laugh harder.

Will finally trailed off, wiping his eyes. _I needed that._ He threaded his hand underneath Don’s hand on his thigh and lifted Don’s hand up to his lips.

“If you tell anyone in the office I said that,” Don warned.“I’ll kill you.”

Will smiled and shook his head with mock sadness.“Don’t think I’m gonna let you live that down.”

They smiled goofily at each other for a moment before Cindi cleared her throat, held up a plate of pan-fried dumplings, and asked, “Anyone like another _mandu_?”Don graciously took one and passed the plate on.

“So, Don,” Cindi said, “I finally figured out where I’ve seen you before.”

“Oh?”Don said, lightly.“Hopefully not on the evening news, we’re supposed to keep a low profile.”

Cindi shook her head.“No, first base for the FBI.I came to Will’s game to see him pitch.”

Don smiled over at Will and Will knew he was thinking about what had happened after that game.

“You won the game for the FBI, if I recall right,” Cindi said.“Good hitting.”

Don grinned.“Which hit – the go-ahead double or the single that nearly took Will’s head off?”

“Both,” Cindi said with a smile. 

“Don played pro ball, you know,” Will said.

“Just the Stockton Rangers,” Don said, embarrassed as he usually was when this subject came up.Don just didn’t realize how good you had to be to get even that far.Will knew that Don wouldn’t have been happy with less than a Hall of Fame career in the majors.

“Really?”Cindi said, her eyebrows rising.“I should have known you were a ringer.It’s possible even that a scouting report on you went across my desk.”

“Doubt it,” Don said, even more embarrassed.“That was ages ago.You were probably still in high school."

“At least college,” Cindi laughed.

Will knew that Don would probably prefer to talk more with Cindi about their mutual love of baseball, but Don turned to Amy and asked her about her doctoral thesis.He was able to ask her intelligent questions and at least seem to understand her answers. _Guess having a genius brother prepares you for such conversations._

After a moment, Don turned to Edward, then to Min.He skillfully carried on the conversation, drawing each family member out about things that interested them, making each person feel special.Will was impressed.It was easy to forget that Don was a top FBI agent, at least in part because of his serious people skills.Don even got his mother to smile twice.

Will had relaxed slightly by the time his mother brought out the dessert of _patbingsu_.“It’s sort of a Korean snow-cone,” he explained to Don.“Ice shavings, sweetened red beans, sweetened condensed milk, fruit, and fruit syrup.” 

“Sounds like a perfect summer dessert,” Don said and dug in.

“Are you still keeping up with Aikido?” Edward asked.

Will smiled at his father.“Yes, when I can.Lately I’ve been focusing on _taninzu-gake_ , that’s defending against multiple attackers.”

“Seems like that be useful in your job,” Edward said, with real interest.“Do you practice with actual weapons?”

“Not guns, obviously,” Will said, “But real knives and things like that, yes.”

“Aikido,” Min said with a derisive snort.“Couldn’t do a Korean art, had to go do a newfangled Japanese one.Why couldn’t you learn Taekwondo like your grandfather?”

Will pressed his lips together.Now she was just baiting him with an old, old argument.

“I’m afraid that I don’t know any martial art,” Don said wryly.“I try to keep a hold of my gun and let my team do the hand to hand.One of them is a jujitsu specialist, another is good enough at krav maga that she teaches it, and the third … Well, let’s just say that I think any one of them could take me out.”

“Maybe you should learn Aikido,” Cindi said.“It’s good for general defense.”

“I’m too old and set in my ways,” Don said with an exaggerated sigh.“I’ll just let Will protect me.”

Will gave a snort, impressed all over again about how in a few sentences, Don managed to turn the conversation from an attack on Will to a wry examination of his own foibles. _Conversational Aikido …_

“So Amy,” Min said with a tone of voice that set off warning bells in Will’s mind. “Have you and Austin set a date yet?”

“No, Mom,” Amy groaned.

_Guess she didn’t get the fight she wanted with me so turned on Amy._

“I’m not sure it’s really engaged unless you actually plan on getting married sometime,” Min grumbled.

“Oh, we’ll get married sometime,” Amy said, lifting her hand to look at her large diamond engagement ring.“Just not yet.”

Will felt an unexpected pang of envy at that ring.It said, unequivocally, ‘I am spoken for.’He had no such sign of his relationship with Don.

“Well, don’t wait too long,” Min said.“I want grandkids before I’m too old to enjoy them.”

Amy rolled her eyes.

“Since it looks like you’re my only hope,” Min continued.

“Mother!” Cindi protested and Will clenched his teeth.

“Just speaking the truth,” Min said flatly. “You’re getting too old and your brother … well.”She waved her hand dismissively.

Will clenched his teeth even tighter, or else he was going to say something he’d regret.Don wasn’t the only one skilled at conversational aikido.His mother could make any topic of conversation spin around and attack Will.

“Is Austin also a doctoral student at UC Irvine?”Don asked into the tense silence.

Amy seized on the question with relief.“Yes, that’s how we met.Though Austin is on the Genetics track.”

“Ah, I’ll bet that Genetics is a hot field of study at the moment,” Don said.

“It’s always hard to find people that want to go into true research.”

Will tuned out the rest of the conversation, but Don and Amy were able to keep it going all through dessert.Will loved _patbingsu_ , but it was hard to eat past the lump of anger in his throat.Cindi only picked at hers _,_ frowning.Min and Edward ate silently, mechanically.

There was almost an audible sigh of relief when Min got up and began clearing up the dishes.Will heard Don next to him draw a breath to offer to help with the dishes but Will gave a quick shake of his head.Min would consider it an insult for a guest to help with the dishes.

Don wiped his mouth with the napkin and said, “Wonderful supper, Mrs. Stevens.”

Min inclined her head, like a queen accepting her due and took the dishes into the kitchen.

Cindi leaned over to Will and asked quietly, “Are you guys going to stay for a while?We could play some cards.”

It was tempting, he hadn’t seen his sisters in too long, but he shook his head.“I think that would be pushing our luck.”

Cindi nodded in regretful agreement.

“If we could be excused,” Will said to his father.“I’m afraid that I’ve got a pile of paperwork waiting for me back at the office.”

“I’ll see you your pile of paperwork, and raise you two more piles,” Don said with a long-suffering sigh.

“We all know the government is fueled by paper,” Amy smiled.“Even the universities.”

Don and Will stood up and came around the end of the table.Will was starting to hope that they would actually get out of the door without open hostility.Then his mother came through the kitchen door.


	3. Part 3 - Open hostility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Min actually talk to each other.

**Title:** A Stevens family dinner, Part 3 of 3 **  
Pairing:** Don/Will **  
Rating:** PG-13, FRT **  
Summary:** Will introduces Don to his family.  
Part 3 - Open hostility  
Will and Min actually talk to each other.  
 **Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my world, making no money. **  
Feedback:** Yes, please! Feed the author!  
 **Warnings:** Angst, tension  
 **A/N:**    This 3-part story takes places after "Miss Me?" and before "Matching".

 

  
Min came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel.“You're leaving already?”

“Yes, Mother,” Will said.“Got work to do.”

Min gave him a curt nod then looked at Don with a regretful expression.“You seem like a nice boy.Too bad that you’re …” She waved her hand.

Will snorted in derision.“Can’t even say it, can you, after all this time? Try it, ‘gay.’”

Min’s lips thinned.“I see no need to dignify the evil by naming it.”

It was like a slap in the face.Even after all his work and care, after the great impression that Don had made, it all came back to this.Will laughed hollowly.“So it’s evil to be happy then?I’m happy with myself, with my life, but you can’t accept that, can you?You can’t just be happy for me.”

“It’s not wrong for a mother to want good things for her son.”

“I _have_ good things.I have an interesting, meaningful job.I’m healthy.I have someone I love who loves me and I want to spend the rest of my life with.It doesn’t get any better.”

Min simply raised her eyebrows, disapproval in every line of her face. 

Will saw red.“I don’t know why I even came here, why I _ever_ come here,” he snarled.“Regardless of what I do, I’ll never fit into your mold of a perfect son.”

“You’ve never even tried,” Min said coldly.“You’ve shoved your _lifestyle_ in our face all your life.” 

“All I have ever _done_ is try.But it’s never good enough and it’s never gonna _be_ good enough.”Will clenched his fists at his sides.“You know what?I’m done trying.Forget you, forget this family.You can just take your bigotry and sh—“

“Will!” Don snapped, his voice like a gunshot.“That’s enough!” 

Stunned, Will gaped at him.

“I apologize, Ma’am,” Don said to Min, who was also gaping at him.“I’m afraid that your son has a bit of a temper.”He grabbed Will’s arm and propelled him towards the front door.“Thank you for dinner, Ma’am, Sir.It was nice to meet you.”A gesture of his head included Amy and Cindi as well.“Goodnight.” 

Don opened the front door and steered Will outside.Will finally found his voice in the haze of white hot anger.“ _Bastard!_ ”Will hissed.“I thought you were on my side.”

“I am,” Don said but Will was already pulling away from him and striding across the street. 

Will reached his car, but his hands were trembling too much to keep hold of his keys.The keys slid out of his hand, dropped to the ground and Will leaned against the hood of his car, his eyes burning with tears. _Damn her,_ he thought helplessly. _Damn Father for never standing up to her.Damn me for thinking that this would be any different._

He heard Don come up next to him and pick his keys up from the ground.Will squeezed his eyes closed. 

“Will?” Don said and tentatively touched his shoulder.Will turned and pulled Don into a rough hug, burying his face against Don’s hair.

Don hugged him back tightly and they stood there for a long moment.

“I hate her,” Will mumbled at last.

“I know,” Don said softly.

“She’ll never accept me.”

Don sighed and pulled away a little so he could see Will’s face.“Do you remember what I said before we went in?”

Tears sprang back into Will’s eyes and he had to take a few breaths before he could answer.“That we’re going in together and coming out together, and nothing in between will change that.”

“Right,” Don said firmly.“Nothing has changed that or will change that.”

Will looked at his lover, trying to settle his ragged breathing.“What would I do without you?” he murmured.

“Sorry to tell you this,” Don declared, “but you’re never going to find out.”

“I can live with that,” Will said, then grimaced, remembering some of the things he’d said to his mother. “Thank you for stopping me from saying something even more stupid.”

Don gave him a small smile.“I’ve got your back, remember?”

“Will?” came a voice behind Don and Will moved out of Don’s arms.Cindi was standing there, looking uncomfortable.“I know that I talked you into this and it seemed like it was going well until …”

“Until Mother and I actually talked to each other instead of around each other.”

“Yeah,” Cindi sighed.“But I’m glad you brought Don anyway.”

“At least one person is.”

“I am too,” Don said unexpectedly.“Your sisters are nice and for the rest … it’s good for me to be reminded how lucky I am with my family.I tend to take them for granted.”

“Mom and Amy are going at it inside,” Cindi said wryly.“Sometimes Ame argues with Mom on general principles, but I think she’s really mad this time.”

Will blinked at her, surprised.“What are they fighting about?”

“The weather,” Cindi said, rolling her eyes.“You, silly.”

“Me?”Will asked.Amy and he had never been close.Why would she take on their mother for him?

“You,” Cindi snapped.“Do you really think that no one else in this family cares about you?”

Will hesitated too long and Cindi’s face grew dark.“You do think that.You’re a real jerk, you know that?”

“I’m sorry, Cee-Cee,” Will said.“I know that you’ve always been on my side.”

“You bet your ass,” Cindi said, somewhat mollified.

“Seriously, though.What in particular are Mother and Amy fighting about?”

“Well, Ame said that if Mom wasn’t careful that she’d never see you again.Mom said that maybe that’s a good thing if you think so little of your family to bring your filthy lover here.Then Ame said that Mom always had this terrible blind spot about you, that if you weren’t the only son or were a girl that Mom would be singing a different tune.Mom said that wasn’t true, and Ame said who does she think she’s kidding and then I left.”

Will stared at Cindi.He couldn’t imagine anyone speaking to his mother like that, even Amy.

“What did Father say?” Will asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

“Nothing.He just went and buried himself in his office.”

“Of course, he did.”

Cindi eyed him.“You know, when Mom isn’t around, I’ve heard Dad tell people about how proud he is of his son who catches bad guys.”

Will’s heart lurched in his chest.“Really?”

Quietly, Don said, “Guess you’ve got more champions than you thought.”

Will stared at Cindi, trying to process what she was telling him.He shook himself and put it aside to think about later, when he was a less emotional.

“Well, I’m going home myself,” Cindi said. “No desire to go back into that maelstrom.”She turned to Don and said sincerely, “It was good to meet you, Don.I’m really glad that Will has someone with enough brains to keep him out of trouble.”

“No one has that many brains,” Don said, smiling.“But I do what I can.Will’s got his hands full trying to do the same for me.”

“You betcha,” Will said, reaching over and squeezing Don’s hand.

“And he’s cute too,” Cindi said in a stage whisper to Will.“You better hang on to him.”

“I plan on it,” Will said with a watery smile.

Impulsively, Cindi gave Don a hug.Don smiled and hugged her back.

“Whenever you want to see a Halos game,” Cindi said, “Let me know.The front office has their own luxury box, you know.”

Don’s eyes lit up.“I’ll take you up on that, count on it.”

“Good!”Cindi hugged Will.“Don’t wait too long,” she said, obviously meaning for baseball and for contacting her in general. “See ya later.”

“See ya,” Will said and watched Cindi walk to her car.

“Shall we go home?” Don said.Will nodded and they got into his car in silence.Will took hold of the steering wheel and forced a deep breath through his lungs.

_I suppose it could have been worse,_ he told himself. _There could have been actual bloodshed._

His breathing gradually quieted and the car filled with the warm, comfortable silence that he had only ever shared with one person.He looked over at Don, at the man he loved more than he believed it was possible to love, and remembered the envy he’d felt for Amy’s engagement ring. _I wonder ... Well, I can only ask._

“Don?”

“Yes, _aein_?” Don said, reaching over to put his hand on Will’s right arm.

Will rested his left hand on top of Don’s and asked, “Have you ever thought about getting your ears pierced?”


End file.
